Ingress declares routing, while a suitable controller implements it. TLS and path behavior depend on controller configuration and supported features.
Before you start
You should understand Pods, Deployments and Services. Read desired configuration separately from observed cluster state. Use a development cluster when trying changes, and inspect events and status rather than assuming that an accepted manifest means the workload is ready to serve traffic.
The practical goal is to reason through this situation: A host rule forwards to a Service through the configured ingress class. Read the walkthrough first, then try the interview exercise before opening its answer. The important part is explaining the decision and its consequences, rather than remembering a definition alone.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Step 1: Identify controller ownership
The Ingress class must correspond to an active implementation.
Step 2: Trace host and path
Confirm routing rules match the actual request.
Step 3: Inspect downstream boundaries
Service endpoints and application listeners must work before TLS or routing assumptions are trusted.
Worked scenario
A host rule forwards to a Service through the configured ingress class.
A manifest is accepted but no controller handles its class, so no functioning external route appears. With ownership fixed, a host mismatch can still select another rule or default backend. Certificate behavior is another boundary and should be checked separately from successful internal Service access.
Common mistake
An Ingress object alone does not guarantee an active external endpoint.
Verify the behavior
Inspect class, controller status, host matching, endpoints and certificate behavior.
Interview exercise
Diagnose a routing failure.
Answer and reasoning
Check class ownership, controller status, Service endpoints, host and path matching, then inspect TLS separately.
Continue learning
Compare the scenario with the Kubernetes interview questions and test your understanding with the Kubernetes MCQs. For terminology and implementation details, consult the reference material.